Featured

Inspired by the works of Arthur C. Clarke, J.G. Ballard and Philip K. Dick, Infinite Summer sees Michael Lovett’s NZCA Lines “marry sci-fi futurism to personal intimacies” to produce what must surely be one of the funkiest apocalyptic concept albums of all time. Indeed, also featuring former Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley and drummer Sarah Jones (Hot Chip, New Young Pony Club), the follow-up to 2012’s self-titled debut may center on […]

Named after a term used for trained assassins he heard in a documentary on espionage, Skilled Mechanics sees trip-hop trailblazer Tricky assemble his own killer team for the most collaborative studio effort of his lengthy career. Some of those on board are no stranger to the world of Adrian Thaws, including regular vocalist Francesca Belmonte who lends her sultry tones to the eerie synth-balladry of “We Begin,” drummer Luke Harris […]

As you’d expect from a founding member of studious classical-electro outfit Clean Bandit, British-Ugandan vocalist/rapper Love Ssega certainly isn’t short on brainpower. Born and raised in South London, the 24-year-old graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, then made the brave decision to quit the aforementioned Grammy winners to finish his Ph.D. in laser sensing. Love Ssega (real name Ssegawa-Ssekintu Kiwanuka) is just as cultured as he […]

Judging by all the pre-release talk of shunning EDM, steering dance music back into a proper direction and making a piece of art, you’d expect Steve Angello’s second solo LP, Wild Youth, to be something of a game-changer. So it’s slightly baffling to hear that the Stockholm DJ has delivered the kind of unadventurous, generic and largely forgettable record he appears to be rallying against. Indeed, featuring guest appearances from […]

David Bowie, arguably one of the most influential figures in modern music for the past 40-plus years, died on Sunday, Jan. 10 after a battle with cancer. He was 69. While previous rumors of his death in years past were greatly exaggerated, the news has been confirmed by Bowie’s representatives and his son Duncan Jones (via Twitter). The following statement appears on Bowie’s official Facebook page: “David Bowie died peacefully […]

So after crowning Jamie xx’s “Loud Places” and Bob Moses’ Days Gone By as the greatest single and album of 2015 respectively, we now switch our attention to what we can expect to hear over the next twelve months in the world of dance/electronica. The first big album out of the blocks this year is Moth (Jan 22), the third album from alt-pop duo Chairlift, which judging by its first […]

The Killers Prevail With “Battle Born”

Island/Def Jam (2012)

Today’s official release of Battle Born, the first studio album from The Killers in four years, is in itself an exercise in beating the odds. A band that many had already written off as obsolete after less than decade, a band who plays big, overstated music in a time when understatement is “in”? By most accounts, this record should not have been made, let alone expected to do well.

But as Han Solo said: “Never tell me the odds.” Not only is Battle Born one of the better records of The Killers’ career, but I expect that it is going to resonate with a lot of music lovers, to the chagrin of the critics, who will find plenty of the same stuff on this record that they have criticized on The Killers’ previous work.

True enough, kudos have been difficult for The Killers to come by since their breakout record Hot Fuss was released in 2004. Back then, their bigger-than-life, emotive blend of Euro-dance with Springsteen-esque rock sounded different than anything else out there, and it hit a nerve with audiences. But while The Killers’ sound didn’t change all that much, times changed quickly around them. After a couple more records received tepid responses from critics, the band went on hiatus, and many assumed they wouldn’t be back.

But there’s something the analysts and the critics didn’t count on. People still have hearts, and they still resonate with music that speaks on that level–and this record has that in spades. From the opening track “Flesh and Bone”, the music itself carries the listener to an emotional place that much of today’s cerebral music fails to touch. Stylistically, The band’s overstated, sometimes melodramatic, increasingly Springsteenish sound may cut against the grain of what is happening in indie rock—but at the end of the day, this is music of the heart, not the head. With Battle Born, The Killers have dug deep, and dug their heels in the Vegas dirt, doggedly determined to continue being the band they were born to be, except with the passion of their early days rekindled. The end result is that they have produced a record that is honest, accessible, and very, very relatable—not to mention it’s just plain good music.

This isn’t to say the band hasn’t evolved from the early days. While The Killers seem to have no intention of following current trends, style-wise this record gravitates away from their dance-pop elements and more toward a blue-collar rock feel (except with plenty of synth). When it comes to Brandon Flowers’ vocal and writing styles, comparisons to Bruce Springsteen are increasingly unavoidable—and that may admittedly be a negative more than a positive. Nevertheless, it is a rare note Flowers sings that is not filled with passion, and that makes the music believable.

Thematically, the record walks on familiar ground (relationships, hardships, relationships and hardships), frequently telling tales of love and loss that most people have felt at one time or another. Exhibit A: the record’s first single “Runaways” (“We got engaged on a Friday night / I swore on the head of our unborn child / That I could take care of the three of us / But I got the tendency to slip when the nights get wild / It’s in my blood”). In similar fashion, “Here With Me” deals with the pain of regret and lost love, while “The Way It Was” asks for a rekindling of passion. You get the idea; it’s not new, but it is relatable, even timeless.

After a strong first few tracks, Battle Born gets just a little bit lost in the middle with a few of its more forgettable songs. But it fully recovers at the end with “Be Still” and the anthemic title track, which in my opinion is one of the strongest on the record.

I have no doubt that reviews of this record will be mixed, if for no reason than the fact that The Killers’ dramatic sound naturally attracts criticism from those who think they know the popular trends. But don’t miss the point about this band. This is not small-venue indie rock; it’s arena rock for a new millennium, filled with the large sounds and raw pathos that helped define rock and roll in the first place. Fans of The Killers will find plenty to love about Battle Born, as will fans of heartfelt rock and roll in general.

The Killers are back. It’s that simple.

4 / 5 stars

Share and Enjoy

About the Author

Tim Ferrar's interest in pop and rock started as a child, listening to Top-40 radio for hours on end while playing air guitar in his bedroom. Eventually air guitar led to electric guitar, and Tim began playing in bands and writing his own songs. With an admitted weakness for "a great hook or a great guitar riff," Tim's musical tastes are broad and varied, ranging from Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga on the pop side to Bon Jovi and Foo Fighters on the rock side- making him the ideal guy to cover our Rock and Pop categories.
By day, Tim is a mild-mannered accountant in Chicago. By night, he rocks out on electric guitar in a cover band in various clubs around town- much to the surprise of some of his clients.